Paris (AFP)

Biocoop will propose to take back "100% of the employees, in stores, in logistics or at the headquarters" of Bio C'Bon, in an improved takeover offer that will be studied Friday by the Paris commercial court, said Tuesday in AFP its president Pierrick De Ronne.

Candidates for the takeover of Bio C'Bon, placed in receivership in early September and which employs a thousand people in France, have until midnight Tuesday to improve their offers.

Biocoop, associated with another specialized distributor, Marcel & Fils, had seen its first offer criticized for a derisory sale price, of 15 euros for Biocoop and 11 euros for Marcel & Fils, while Carrefour, for example, offers 40 million euros.

"We do not have the Carrefour checkbook and we are not in the same logic as them," said Pierrick De Ronne, while adding that the two distributors were "going to" substantially increase "their financial offer.

However, he did not wish to reveal its contours.

"We have banks that follow us and we are very comfortable with our financial strength and our know-how," he pleads.

"We know how to open organic stores, which may not be the case for everyone."

A connoisseur of the file polled by AFP expects an offer of around twenty million euros.

Pierrick De Ronne also indicates that he now plans to take over all Bio C'Bon employees.

"We met people who invested a lot, who were anxious and who carried Bio C'Bon at arm's length, they wanted to continue to defend their work in the organic trade and that confirmed our idea. that the preservation of employment was essential, "he pleaded.

He claims to be "the only candidate for the takeover not to have had a departure plan for 30 years" and intends to create "200 to 300 additional jobs".

However, he will not take over the headquarters and logistics: according to him, "if the situation is there, it is because of these somewhat oversized tools."

In addition to Biocoop, the Zouari family, shareholder of Picard frozen foods, the Carrefour group or even Auchan are candidates for the takeover of Bio C'Bon.

Naturalia, organic sign of the Casino group, had filed a "joint offer" alongside Bernardo Sanchez Incera, former manager of Monoprix, before withdrawing, citing "gray areas".

© 2020 AFP